Time and income: empirical evidence on gender poverty and inequalities from a capability perspective

The aim of this paper is to discuss from a capability perspective, how and to what extent gender inequalities in terms of time allocation between paid and unpaid work can affect income poverty and individual well-being. In the first part, I will try to illustrate the reasons for which Sen’s capability approach, compared to other theoretical frameworks, seems to be particularly adequate to shed light on the complex linkages between time allocation and well-being distribution. In the second part, I will present the results of an empirical analysis based on the Bank of Italy’s Survey on Household Income and Wealth, giving evidence that strong gender inequalities exist both in terms of time and income allocation.